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I am leaning toward a Tamaworth, however I'm not entirely sure on breed. I have 2 vietnamese potbelly gilts and need a boar to sire, without producing young too large to birth.

Didn't plan on keeping them inside all the time. =) Just didn't know if I should lock them back up at night, the way I do the poultry, or if I could leave a flap on the hatch to the outdoor pen and let them come/go.

Going outside. I'm worried about coyotes or other predators. Been told I don't need to, even with smaller breed pigs, but I'm still a bit concerned.

We have two pigs now. 100 pound Vietnamese potbelly sows, 1 year old. Can't find straw. Got a fence up for them (hog panels with 6 ft t posts every 4 feet), but they can't fit through the little hole. They're extremely irritated. But, back to the fence, should I just put a flap over the hole...

Oh! I almost forgot. On Mama, she's losing her mind. She's still ripping fur and is just acting all out sorts. Very sedate compared to her normal behavior, although a still averse to being held. Last night when we brought her in to nurse, she started chewing on my jeans, the towel and the couch...

The spotted one died this morning. =( The black one is still kicking. It nursed hungrily but never acted satisfied. Is it possible her milk is drying up? Should I start supplementing with the KMR?

^^ This. Please answer! (In detail, for those of us with inquiring minds!)

I'm so sorry for your loss(es)! How horrible. I hope the new shade canopy works.

We bit the bullet, protected our arms, and brought mama in to feed the babies. She sat still as soon as they latched on like a CHAMP! She's usually very mean and hates to be held, but not this time. She just laid on my lap without a twitch while they nursed. Fingers crossed this works and this...

OK. So I just have an itty bitty kit. Phew. I'd read about the dwarf genes, but didn't really think about the genetics of the rabbits. =)

The father is a NZ and the mother is a Cali/Rex mix.

Thanks! No, I think she just had no clue what she's doing. It's her first litter. I looked again, and I'm not so sure it was "ripped up" like I initially thought, so much as disregarded/jumped on/etc. She's in a colony setting, with only females. There are chickens in the building, but they've...

I think it was the mother. I had a few other does in there, but I don't think they would have done it. And I'd thought she was doing so well with them. Guess I didn't luck out. Got KMR. Got a little syringe. Feeding them a drop at a time so they don't aspirate. I've got 5 kids, so at least I'm...

I should have checked on them earlier...last checked at 1AM this morning. Just 15 minutes ago I went out to check on the animals, and found the nest ripped apart. Not sure who the culprit was. The kits were scattered about - either moved or crawled, assuming the latter since they have no...

You're doing a MUCH better job planning than I did! Kudos! I don't know much (just had the first litter today), but I think that sounds very good and sound.

Thanks, Bunnylady. That's what I finally decided to do, so it's good to know it was probably right. I've checked on them several times today. The first time I was worried because they were very wrinkly, but also extremely mewly. I figured the energy was a good thing. Just checked on them again...

We just moved our [meat] rabbits into a colony setting. Literally last night. One of our does...we thought she was due for her first little on the 7th. Nope. She had them today! I caught her starting a nest last night and felt very bad about moving her, but had been told the start of a nest...

Indeed. When my boyfriend and I first got together, he told me (at the time a very suburban girl working in Chicago) how he hunted coyotes. I was appalled to learn he did it because there were "too many." Now, I see what he meant. Sidenote: Coyotes are one of a handful of animals in Illinois...

I got my 1/2"x1 at Farm and Fleet. Relatively inexpensive, compared to the prefab cages. It's pretty sturdy, too. Not sure on the gauge, but it's definitely not wimpy cloth.

A bit east of Rockford, IL. The area is going through some major ecological issues, between the drought last year, over-farming and "infrastructure" development. I expect things to get better by this fall - when the over-populated predators have starved off - but for now, they're just brazen and...